The judge told Sinclair that his approach had been cavalier and that this was a serious matter, the Herald reported.

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Speaking after the case, Sinclair said: “Although the publication of the defendants’s name was made in error, it remains my view that it was in the public interest that he should have been named.”

He added: “I fully respect that reporting restrictions are in place to protect the vulnerable; but this is not one of those cases. The decision the CPS made to bring the case to court genuinely baffled me.

“I was happy that my barrister was able to highlight that before the Pembrokeshire Herald was launched, that court reporting in west Wales was on the wane.

“The Herald has forced our competitors to employ more journalists, to report on more cases, and to show the public that justice is being done.

“We have to, as a newspaper push the boundaries on what can be reported, a free and fair press is the cornerstone of democracy.”